Process of introducing iron into foods, drugs, and beverages.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD L. MARSH, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF INTRODUCINGIBON INTO FOODS, DRUGS, AND BEVERAGES.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

No Drawing. Original application filed necember 5, 1914, Seria1No'.875,553. Divided and this application filed January 27, 1915. Serial No. 4,608.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD L, MARSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Processes of Introducing Iron into Foods, Drugs, and Beverages, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to introduce iron into beverages, medicines and foods. The introduction of iron into such substances through the medium of inorganic compounds of iron is old and well known; but the serious objections thereto have been so well established and recognized and the supposedly good effects have been counterbalanced such demonstrably harmful results that this method is generally deemed antiquated andimpracticable. Other methods of introducing iron intosubstances intended for human consumption have been devised which avoid the particular deleterious eifects producedby inorganic iron compounds. Thus, solutions 'of compounds of iron and carbo-hydrates, and particularly a solution of the substance com- -monly known asferric saccharate, have been utilized as agents for the introduction of solubleiron into foods, drugs and beverages; but this method is open to other objections, chief among which isthat there is produced a turbidity or precipitate of both the iron and some .of the ingredients of the beverage. This effect is probably due to the fact that a solution of ferric saccharate is not only colloidal but impure, since there is more or less free alkali present. Further, a solution of ferric saccharate possesses a pronouncedly sweetish taste, which is objectionable in most instances and prohibitive in some. q The object of my invention is to produce a substance which will produce little or no turbidity or precipitation when added in any quantity to most beverages, and in which the sweetish taste is eliminated or removed to a substantial extent.

To effect my object 'I take a more or less concentrated solution of ferric saccharate, which preferably contains as little as possible of free alkali, and heat it under pressure to a high-temperature. saccharate originally contains free alkali V dilution.

7 I would say temperature. would be between 212 degrees If the ferric in any substantial quantity, it-should preferably befirst neutralized. Aspecifio example of my process is as follows: 100- cc. of an 85 per cent. solution of ferric saccharate is heated in an autoclave to a temperature of about 300 degrees F. for a period of about one minute. This treatment results in the production of a substance containing, as I believe, iron in combination with some of the organic acids derived from breaking down the sugar molecules and has the characteristics above named. The sweetish taste is largely or wholly removed, and while it possesses, when freshlyv prepared, a slight odor of burnt sugar, this disappears upon If the beverage to which it.. is added is filtered, there is no loss of iron,

which remains in solution. When added to most beverages, there is no turbidity or precipitation, and. filtration is unnecessary. Inplace of heating a solution of ferric saccharate, I may heat a sugar solution of freshly precipitated ferric hydroxid, which, so far as my process is concerned, may be regarded as an equivalent of ferric saccharate.

The successful practice or the process does not require for the heating step any precise degree of. tem erature continued for any definite time. perature than that specified, but with the heatingJ continued for a relatively. longer time, t e same result may be secured. ."So, also, the heat treatment may be carried on at a somewhat higher temperature,'inwhich casethe time required would be relatively short.- Again, I have found that a dilute solution of. ferric saccharate requires either a higher temperature or a temperature maintained fora longer time, than does a stronger solution. Furthermore, if the product has caramelized and undergone a considerable change by' reason of relatively which has caramelized to a very slight extent. Judgin from experience, however,

at the range of permissible and 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the cor- "responding steam 'pressuraiand that the greater the strength of the solution, the less the temperature re uired and the shorter the duratlon of the cat treatment.

us, with a lower tem- This application is a division of an application filed December 5, 1914. Serial No. 875,553. c

Having now fully describedv my. inven tion, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of preparing a substance containing iron in a soluble form for introduction into beverages, foods and drugs, which consists in subjecting a solution of ferric saccharate to a temperature between 212 and 350 degrees F. and under a pressure exceeding normal atmospheric pressure.

2. The process of preparing a substance containi iron in a so uble form for introduction into beverages, foods, and. drugs,

which consists in heatmg ferric saccharate .this25th day of January under pressure to a temperature of approxi- .mately 300 degrees F.

3. The process of preparing a substance containing iron in a'soluble form for introduction into beverages, foods and drugs, which consists in subjecting a solution of .ferric' saccharate containing substantially no free alkaliQtO a temperature between 212 and 350*degrees. and 'under a pressure exceeding, normal atmospheric pressure.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my. hand, at Philadelphia, on

1915. HOWARD L. MARSH. Witnesses:

M M; Hanna-ON, 

